CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball made a big, second-half charge against Southeast Missouri State University on Saturday, but the Screaming Eagles ran out of time in their fight back, getting edged by a 63-59 final score.
 
Saturday's game was a tale of two halves for USI. Southern Indiana faced some difficulty settling into the game and finding its flow in the first half. After the break, the Screaming Eagles picked up their intensity and stormed back after finding a flow through the painted area. Junior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) and senior forward Hannah Haithcock (Washington Courthouse, Ohio) were significant catalysts in USI's second-half play. Raley posted a career-high 27 points on Saturday, the second-highest scoring effort by a Screaming Eagle this season. Raley surpassed her previous career mark of 23 points.
 
Southern Indiana started the game with solid looks from sophomore guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) and Raley. Raley got USI on the scoreboard after getting a layup off an offensive rebound. Minutes later, Shafford dribbled inside the arc from the left side and pulled up to knock down a jumper. USI led 8-6 after five minutes of play. After USI went up 11-7, SEMO went on a 13-0 run to finish the first quarter and grabbed a 20-11 lead.
 
Three minutes into the second quarter, Haithcock worked hard inside to get a layup to drop through the net, pulling USI within nine, 22-13. Southeast Missouri increased its lead during the middle minutes of the second period. With 2:28 remaining in the first half, senior forward Tara Robbe (Wildwood, Missouri) cashed in with a bucket, making the score 28-15 SEMO. The Redhawks led 33-15 at halftime.
 
Trailing by 20 early in the third quarter, the Screaming Eagles stormed back in the third period. Raley sparked a small run for USI by getting a basket and a foul at the seven-minute mark of the third. After the five-minute point of the third, Southern Indiana went on a 9-0 run, which included a pair of three-pointers for the Screaming Eagles. Down 13 inside the last two minutes of the third, USI made another run to finish a strong third quarter, trimming the deficit down to eight, 46-38, heading to the fourth quarter.
 
The combination of Raley and Haithcock in the paint continued to lead the fight back for USI in the fourth quarter. A bucket from Raley and free throws by Haithcock brought USI within four, 50-46, with just under seven minutes left in the fourth. The two forwards each scored again for USI, making it a two-point game by the four-minute mark, 52-50. Southern Indiana got it within one, 53-52, with 3:30 remaining in the fourth period. The Redhawks responded by building back up to a five-point lead, 59-54, with 1:30 left, but USI still fought on. Raley converted a three-point play to get USI back within two at the one-minute mark. However, Southeast Missouri held on the rest of the way, as USI ran out of time in its comeback effort.
 
Raley set her career mark behind 10-17 shooting from the floor and 6-8 at the line. She also pulled down five rebounds. Haithcock tallied 15 points with nine rebounds. She was 9-10 at the foul line. Southern Indiana went 20-53 for 37.7 percent shooting with three triples. USI was 16-22 for 72.7 percent at the stripe. USI outrebounded SEMO 37-35.
 
Southeast Missouri was led by sophomore guard Jaliyah Green with 20 points. Junior guard Rahmena Henderson had 14 points. The Redhawks were 22-62 for 35.5 percent from the field with three three-pointers and 16-27 for 59.3 percent at the free-throw line.
 
With Saturday's results, Southern Indiana is 11-16 overall and 5-11 in the Ohio Valley Conference, sitting in ninth place in the standings heading into the final week of the regular season. USI is a game back of Morehead State University in eighth place, as only eight of the OVC's 10 teams make it to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championship. With the win, SEMO moved to 13-14 on the season and 8-8 in the OVC, which is good for fourth place.
 
The Screaming Eagles will return home to Screaming Eagles Arena Thursday at 5 p.m. against Tennessee Tech University for USI's regular season home finale. The matchup can be seen live with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on 95.7 FM The Spin (http://957thespin.com). Tickets to the game can be purchased online at usi.universitytickets.com.